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The playoffs start today with the Wild Card round. The Braves and Cards square off at 4pm CT on TBS, and the O’s and Rangers go at 7:30pm CT, also on TBS. Your rooting interests are as follows: Braves, Braves, Braves, Braves, O’s, Braves, Braves, Braves. Also: Braves.

So, the Diamondbacks have booted broadcasters Mark Grace and Daron Sutton, and they’re making no secret about their desire to bring in Bob Brenly, among other possible candidates. Brenly, you’ll recall, is a “free agent,” who has said he’d like to return next year with Len Kasper (and most fans would agree: it’s a good pair that we’d like to see return), but he might be intrigued by the opportunity to return to Arizona, where he won a World Series as a manager. The fact that the Cubs’ television contract with WGN expires after 2014 could also be an issue (though, if Brenly sticks with the Cubs for another two years, I doubt they’re going to let a broadcast transition, if one takes place, get in the way of the guy they want offering color). Brenly would be doing himself a disservice if he didn’t hear what the D-Backs had to say, and we’ll just have to hope he ultimately prefers to stick with the Cubs … even though it has to have been brutally difficult to do the job over the last four years.

A few scalpers around Wrigley Field got popped for selling tickets near an amusement park without a valid broker’s license (you know, scalping) on the final day of the season, when tickets were selling on StubHub for $1. That’s pretty harsh, bro.

The Red Sox have fired Bobby Valentine, and plan to ask the Blue Jays for permission to interview their manager, John Farrell. I’m sure the Red Sox are standing ready to give up significant compensation for a mere lateral move like that, right?

The MLBullets at BCB look at the playoffs, the Bobby V thing, and the Bob Brenly thing. Fair bit of overlap today.

If I say that I’m asking you this for purely hypothetical reasons, you won’t believe me, but I’ll say it anyway: if you are a podcast listener, and you’ve got a couple minutes to offer some thoughts on what you’re into or not into in that area, I’d be much obliged. Here’s a very short survey on the subject.

I enjoy listening to Bob and Len and although the Cubs have not been in contention for the duration of Bob´s contract, the size of the market and the number of listners has to be a big selling point.

Professionally, the Arizona gig would be a step back in my oppinion.

http://Casualcubsfan.blogger.com hansman1982

FYI. The @Bob_Brenly account on Twitter is fake. Len confirmed (re-confirmed) it on twitter last night when fake bob tweeted he was taking the Arizona job. If you are on Twitter please do a solid and report the account as spam.

Stevie B

How much does ole Bob make per year?

Cubbie Blues

I found this:

Brenly is closing out the final year of a four-year contract he signed before the 2009 season. Industry sources insist that he is the highest paid color commentator on local baseball broadcasts, making in excess of $900,000 a year.

jungle_jim

Does Bob live in Arizona? If so, that and his prior connection to the Diamondbacks makes the job worth considering.

Nick Nesler

Not sure but hopefully having his son in our organization helps.

Stinky Pete

I was under the impression that having Bob in the organization helped his son…

Matty V

“The Red Sox have fired Bobby Valentine, and plan to ask the Blue Jays for permission to interview their manager, John Farrell. I’m sure the Red Sox are standing ready to give up significant compensation for a mere lateral move like that, right?”

I wish I could like this a thousand times.

Cubbie Blues

I completed the survey for ya Ace. It is very short (3 questions) and quick to fill out.

http://www.bleachernation.com Brett

Thanks, CB.

Cheyenne

Bob Brenly and Steve Stone…the new TV broadcast team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. I would enjoy listening to them.

Steve: play-by-play
Bob: color

ETS

This is sarcasm, right?

Cheyenne

no sarcasm intended

Cub Style

There should be.

baseballet

If Brenly does leave, does anyone have an idea who would be candidates for his replacement? With that kind of salary, there would be a lot of competition for the job.

Stevie B

Well…Grace is available!!

Cheyenne

I’m sure Grace can’t leave the state of Arizona

Stevie B

Hahahaha…thats funny

TheRiot2

Grace to the Cubs for Brenly’s replacement is just to painful to think of. As much as I loved Moreland as a player he is also painful to listen to. Much better replacement announcers if need be just have to be out there. Finally, just say no to Grace if need be.

Sven-Erik312

I remember Brenlys days as a player. I like hearing what he has to say during the games. While the position in the booth may be somewhat more secure that the dugout, I think a team ought to put him back there.

Bill Carlson

I would trade Len and Bob for Darren Sutton and Mark Grace…

Robert

He’ll I’d rather bob leave the booth and be our manager. Lol it was really fun hearing him yell to the players. ” RUNNNN!!!!!!” But no, I hope bob does return I’ve grown accustomed to Len and bob

Featherstone

How delicious to see the Red Sox on the other side of the compensation issue now. I hope the Jays squeeze the hell out of them.

OlderStyle

^This.

Cubbie Blues

Watch the Rox try and give them Carpenter.

FFP

If you like this, you should be loving who Red Sox GM, Ben Charington really wanted in the first place.

cubchymyst

This was Curt Shilling’s comment about in on ESPN:

Schilling said the hire was blundered from the outset. “The players didn’t want him there, the GM had other ideas, and this was put on the GM by ownership,” he said.

DocPeterWimsey

Yeah, the owners bought too heavily into the sports talk radio explanation of why the Sox collapsed last year. The beer and chicken in the clubhouse obviously was not the explanation: otherwise, the Sox would not have made post-season in ’03, ’04, ’05, ’07,’08 and ’09, when their clubhouse was an uncut version of “Animal House.”

Having all of the starters go down, on the other hand, probably was the explanation! The solution should have been to bring in another starter or two. (Of course, there was every chance that the new starters would have been busts: many of the ones who changed teams last winter did not excel!)

Chris

Brenly will use this as leverage for his next contract, but I can’t see how the Cubs can let him go. He’s a solid color guy and has a great chemistry with Kasper. Anyone that remembers Joe Carter’s brief time in that job realizes Brenly is that good. While there was once a time where I felt Steve Stone was the best in the business, and never thought they’d find a replacement as good in the booth, Brenly has proven me wrong. Short of getting a manager job, or having to take a pay cut, I can’t see a reason for Brenly to leave. He’ll get a nice bump for time served watching this awful product and stick around for 4 more seasons, I predict.

Cubbie Blues

I believe he is already the highest paid announcer in baseball.

Cubbies4Life

I do hope Bob stays with the Cubs. I really enjoy listening to him, and Len, too. Sometimes he reminds me of Ron Santo, how he often can’t hide his personal feelings about a player, or a play, and especially when it comes to umpires! He makes me laugh – and there hasn’t been a whole lot to laugh about (where the Cubs are concerned) in the past couple of years!

Njriv

Well they can’t have him!

Mike

Bring Stone back!

auggie1955

I enjoy Brenly more than Stone, but if Bob left it would be nice having Stone back. I would really enjoy listening to Stone put down Sox. (like he now puts down the Cubs)

TheRiot2

Biit how you doing ? Hope to see some activity from you on MB.

Ben VanHyning

If Bob Brenly doesn’t re-sign with the Cubs could we bring back Gracie to the booth? I would love that!

ssckelley

Why do you think Arizona wants Brenly so bad? Mark Grace is awful!

If Brenly did leave I would hope the Cubs would bring back Stone. He is still one of the best in the business and his talents are being wasted being in the booth with Hawk.

And yes I’m happy to base my opinion on that one article, thanks for asking.

notcubbiewubbie

bb wish you nothing but the best; now if this was len kasper leaving i would go on a three day bender.worst play by play announcer of all time.

auggie1955

Yeah, I’m not crazy about Len either. Brenly really saves his behind.

Patrick G

Grace for 3B coach?

TWC

Hahahahahahahahhahahahahhaaha

fortyonenorth

Don’t know if this was mentioned, but during the Cubs v. Dbacks broadcast last week, Bob mentioned running into David DeJesus in the clubhouse at 7:30 that morning. Bob said he was there early to “attend to some business….” Didn’t think much of it at the time, but what type of “business” brings a color guy to the park at 7:30 am for an 8 pm game?

TWC

He was out for his morning jog and while passing by Wrigley he realized he had to use the can.

dob2812

I really dislike the Braves. They’re the worst. I’m not going to cheer for the Cardinals of course so the first play-in game will be watched in stoic silence.

Sweetjamesjones

I really hate the Braves only because i live in the South. But as a Cub fan, you do not want the Cardinals to win. It was bad enough last year, I just want them to get put out as quickly as possible.

http://www.justinjabs.com/blog/ justinjabs

NO. Get the f*ck away from Bob.

http://www.justinjabs.com/blog/ justinjabs

Also Brett, CubsCast was cool…

Cubs fan Ryan

Wouldn’t this be Kerry Wood’s return opportunity if Bob leaves?

http://www.justinjabs.com/blog/ justinjabs

@Cubs fan Ryan, that’s a very interesting point. Probably the only scenario I’d be happy with if Bob leaves.

bluekoolaidaholic

As much as I loved Gracie as a player, as a broadcaster he drives me nuts, too much talk.
Yay BB anyhow, I’d much rather have him. He and Len have been great. I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t like that combo.
Sorry Bobby Vee, I guess you are just a jerk after all. The team speaks.
AND
while I don’t root for the Braves, I hate the Cards, Reds and Giants and LOVE Chipper Jones, he deserves a ring, SO,
GO BRAVES!

TWC

Can’t we just give Arizona Moreland instead? He’s a pretty good comp for Grace — lots of talk, little insight on the game — especially the modern game.

RoughRiider

Sports radio in Phoenix said Diamond backa are looking at Brenley but doesn’t think they ahve the money to compete with the Cubs. Brenley has a home in the Phx metro area. It was broken into a couple of years ago while he wasw gone.

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